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The Miami Dolphins, statistically, have the worst passing offense in football, but that doesn’t even do justice somehow to how bad it’s been. Any sign of hope that Jay Cutler provided in Week 1 has been all but stripped away by a consistent stream of passes behind the line of scrimmage and an inability or unwillingness to live up to his gunslinger reputation. The weapons are still there, even if DeVante Parker is forced to miss time with an ankle injury, but for now, Adam Gase’s ultra-conservative play-calling is serving as a safety on those weapons. The Falcons are middle-of-the-pack in terms of pass defense, but if recent history is any indication, that should be more than enough to hold Cutler in check. Edge: Atlanta

Miami rushing offense (31st) vs. Atlanta rush defense (11th)

Jay Ajayi has not been helped by the team’s lack of a passing game and, as a result, hasn’t been able to live up to his preseason expectations. With only 261 yards on 76 carries through four games, it’s clear that the holes haven’t opened up, which makes sense considering the lack of respect that the passing offense commands from opposing defenses. Without a steady diet of touches or first downs, Sunday is shaping up to be another unspectacular day for Miami’s rushing offense, but any type of offensive rhythm could bode well for them, as the Falcons have allowed 4.2 yards per rush attempts so far this season. Edge: Atlanta

When the Falcons have the ball…

Atlanta passing offense (7th) vs Miami pass defense (22nd)

Matt Ryan and Julio Jones help make Atlanta’s aerial assault one the most prolific in the league. It will take a team effort for Miami to stop Jones, who has gained a relatively quiet 295 yards on 19 receptions so far this year and has yet to find the end zone. The Falcons also do a good job of getting everyone involved on offense, with 11 different players registering a reception so far this season. Tight end Austin Hooper has been the second-most reliable receiver for Ryan and may cause matchup problems for Miami’s linebackers. The Falcons just have too many weapons. Edge: Atlanta

Atlanta rushing offense (8th) vs Miami rush defense (4th)

Miami’s rush defense continues to be the most positive surprise of the season, turning around after a terrible season in 2016 and becoming the team’s biggest strength. Atlanta will be another stiff test, as Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman have combined for 466 yards this season, with Freeman tallying five rushing scores. It’s fair to question whether Miami big boys up front will be fatigued from working so hard to keep the team in games the last few weeks, but assuming they’re at full strength, the Dolphins should have a slight edge. Edge: Miami

Special teams

Miami’s rookie punter Matt Haack has been good, averaging 47.4 yards per punt this year. Cody Parkey, on the other hand, has been terrible on extra points, having missed two of his four attempts. While that’s a reason for concern, Parkey has connected on all five of his field-goal attempts. Atlanta’s veteran duo of Matt Bryant and Matt Bosher has been great all year, with Bryant going 9-for-9 on field-goal attempts and 11-for-11 on extra points and Bosher averaging 46.2 yards on his 12 punts. Edge: Atlanta